Free The High Calling by Gilbert Morris

girl to town for me.”
    “Brodie, go away,” Kat snapped. She had discovered that Brodie did not often drink, but he had a reputation for making trouble and becoming aggressive when he did.
    Brodie ignored her and stood glaring down at the Englishman. “I reckon you think you can come over here and take our women anytime you take a notion.”
    “I had no such thought,” Parker said quietly.
    “You and your fancy talk and fancy clothes! I don’t care what you say—you ain’t takin’ my girl!”
    “I don’t think this is the place to discuss it,” Parker said. He was aware that everyone in the place had turned to watch them. “Perhaps we could talk somewhere else.”
    “Right here’s good enough for me.”
    Kat was alarmed, and she tried to interrupt Brodie, but he persisted.
    “I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you to leave,” Parker said quietly. “Your behavior is not that of a gentleman.”
    “I’ll gentleman you!” Brodie yelled. He grabbed Parker by the jacket and hauled him to his feet. He swung wildly and Parker blocked the blow, but Brodie was an accomplishedfighter. Even drunk, he had the skills developed over years of fighting. His next swipe caught Parker high on the temple, and Parker went down into his chair, dragging the tablecloth with him.
    He jumped back up and tried to protect himself, but Brodie waded in swinging.
    Kat could not believe what was happening, and she cried for help. The manager of the restaurant was already running toward them, and a couple of men dining nearby had jumped up to grab Brodie and subdue him.
    “Brodie, you stop at once!” Kat cried out. “Are you crazy?”
    Brodie struggled to shake the men off who were holding him tight, but then he blinked his eyes and quieted when he saw the blood running down the Englishman’s face. “I-I’m sorry . . . I don’t know what got into me.”
    “Get out of here! Go away!” Kat cried, her face pale and her lips trembling. “I’m ashamed of you, Brodie Lee. Now leave!”
    The manager intervened, “You’re not going anywhere, young man. We’ve called the police and they’ll be here any minute.”
    Brodie gave Kat an anguished look and allowed himself to be led to the foyer to wait for the police.
    Kat went to Parker at once. “I’m so sorry, Parker. He was drunk.”
    “Yes. I noticed that.” His mouth was bruised and his eyebrow was bleeding.
    “Come on. We’ll have to go clean you up.”
    “It’s not that bad,” he protested as he straightened up the table and chairs and apologized to the other guests, feeling mortified more than injured.
    After paying for their dinner and making more apologies to the restaurant manager, they went outside to speak to the police, who wanted to know if they wished to press charges. Parker merely suggested that they lock him up overnight to let him sober up, figuring that a night in jail and a stiff fine for disturbing the peace might be enough to teach Brodie a lesson.
    “I’m sorry about all this,” Kat said as they walked to Parker’s car. “Brodie’s not like that except when he’s drinking. And he doesn’t do that often. He’s had a hard life.”
    Parker pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and held it over his eyebrow. “Actually,” he said slowly, “I don’t blame him. He’s in love with you, Katherine.”
    “No he isn’t.”
    “I think he is,” Parker said as he started the car.
    She tried to ignore his statement. “When we get home, I’ll put something on that cut.”
    The two said little on the way to the house, but when he stopped the car Parker said, “I won’t go in. This isn’t a bad cut, and I’d rather not have to explain to your parents.”
    “I understand. It was such a good evening until Brodie came.”
    Parker got out of the car and walked around to open her door. When she got out, he said, “I hope you’ll think about making the trip to England with me.”
    She had forgotten about the trip in the confusion. Now she still